Mental Health Care in Primary Health Care: An Integrative Review.

In this study, we analyzed recent studies on mental health approaches developed in primary health care to identify the emphasis of such interventions, their technical feasibility for the setting in question, and their levels of evidence. An integrative review was conducted of primary studies from the LILACS, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases using the PRISMA search strategy. Nineteen studies were identified with a high level of evidence that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the area. However, academic, cultural, and linguistic barriers still need to be overcome to facilitate sharing of such interventions' findings and protocols.

Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire as a Tool to Evaluate the Quality of Life in Liver Transplant Candidates.

INTRODUCTION:: The advanced stage of liver disease causes impairments in the quality of life due to the physiological symptoms, besides the social and emotional stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of candidates for liver transplantation in specialized center in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS:: An observational study was carried out, with a quantitative approach. The sample was of convenience with the participation of 50 candidates for liver transplantation. Demographic characterization data, clinical data, and the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire were used to evaluate the quality of life. RESULTS:: The majority of the participants were male (68%), married (76%), with an average age of 55.7 years and average income of 2 to 3 minimum wages (42%). The main cause of liver disease was alcoholism (34%), mean time on the waiting list was 247.8 days, and mean model for end-stage liver disease was 20.5 points. The mean quality of life score was 2.9 points (standard deviation = 1.0) and the analysis of the 6 domains showed greater impairment of fatigue (2.2), activity (2.7), and concern (2.9) and better evaluation of systemic symptoms (3.4) and emotion (3.3). CONCLUSION:: Quality of life is impaired in most of the participants, indicating the need for greater attention and evaluation in the physical, mental, and social scope of this clientele.

Educational intervention for liver transplantation candidates.

OBJECTIVE: The objective in this study was to analyze candidates' knowledge on the liver transplantation process before and after putting in practice an educational intervention. METHOD: A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest research design was adopted. The final sample included 15 subjects. Research data were collected between January and March 2010 in three phases, which were: pretest, implementation of the educational intervention (two meetings) and posttest. RESULTS: The results evidenced significant cognitive gains after the intervention, with improvements in the participants' performance . CONCLUSIONS: The research presents evidence that putting in practice a patient education strategy can enhance candidates' knowledge on the liver transplantation process and consequently contribute to a successful treatment.